Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use (STAG-MNS)
The STAG-MNS has the role of advising the WHO Director-General on matters relating to mental health, brain health, substance use and addictive behaviours.
Objective
In the context of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) agenda and also WHO’s triple billion goals focused on maximizing country impact as well as coordinated global leadership, a Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use (STAG-MNS) has been established to advise the WHO Director-General on matters relating to mental health, neurological disorders, substance use and addictive behaviours. The STAG-MNS will support WHO’s leading role in advancing SDG 2030 health-related targets, especially targets 3.4 and 3.5 focused on promoting mental health and wellbeing and strengthening the prevention and treatment of substance abuse.
Functions
In its advisory capacity to the Director-General, the STAG-MNS will fulfill the following functions related to mental health, brain health, substance use and addictive behaviours:
- To identify and describe current and future challenges;
- To advise WHO on strategic directions to be prioritized;
- To advise WHO on the development of global strategic documents; and
- To propose other strategic interventions and activities for implementation by WHO.
Composition
The STAG-MNS is designed to be multidisciplinary, with members spanning a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to mental health, brain health and neurology and substance use. Accordingly, expressions of interest were sought from individuals with substantial, high-level expertise and experience (including those with lived experience of an MNS condition) in the following areas: Strategic direction, intersectoral coordination and programme management of public health aspects of MNS services at national level (policy, planning and leadership); Innovation in and/or integration of MNS service delivery and organization at the programmatic or sectoral level; Comparative epidemiology of MNS conditions (trends, future projections); Measurement, monitoring and surveillance of MNS service outputs and outcomes; Strategic advocacy, partnership promotion and making the case for MNS conditions; Ethics, equity, human rights and gender in the context of MNS health services. The final set of twenty selected STAG-MNS members are listed below, who serve in their personal capacities and have been appointed for a period of two years.
Safeguarding WHO against conflicts of interests
STAG-MNS members must respect the impartiality and independence required of WHO. In performing their work, members may not seek or accept instructions from any Government or from any authority external to the Organization. They must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, the members have completed a declaration of interests form and their appointment has been subject to the evaluation of completed forms by the WHO Secretariat, determining that their participation will not give rise to a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest. STAG-MNS members have an ongoing obligation to inform the WHO of any interests real or perceived that may give raise to a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest, and WHO may request STAG-MNS members to complete a new declaration of interest form.
Members
Shayni Geffen
Project leader, South African Federation of Mental Health, South Africa
Graham Thornicroft
Professor of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience UK
Pratima Murthy
Professor of Psychiatry and Director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, India
Neo Morojele
Honorary Professor, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town South Africa
Chan Lai Fong
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, National University of Malaysia, Malaysia
Chencho Dorji
Professor of Psychiatry Bhutan
Kairi Kolves
Professor, Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Australia
Rabih El Chammay
Head, National Mental Health Programme, Ministry of Health, Lebanon
Olga Kalina
Advocate and Consultant Mental health Georgia
Kirsty Donald
Professor of Pediatric Neurology University of Cape Town South Africa
Kameshwar Prasad
Director and CEO, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, India
Chido Rwafa-Madzvamutse
Public mental health specialist, Zimbabwe
Benedict Dossen
Lead, Country Mental Health Program, The Carter Center, Liberia
Leonardo Cubillos
Director, Centre for Global Mental Health Research National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) USA
Afarin Rahimi-Movaghar
Professor of Psychiatry
Chahnez Charfi Triki
Head, Child Neurology Department,Tunisia
Michael Pietrus
Director, Opening Minds Mental Health First Aid Canada Canada
Cleusa Ferri
Department of Psychiatry Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo Brazil
Professor Wei Hao
Professor of Psychiatry
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Our work involves mental health promotion and the prevention of mental, neurological and substance use disorders. We support the expansion of access to affordable, quality care for everyone who needs it.
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